Latest news with #HouseBill145
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Governor flexes amendatory veto power; tweaks several bills in final days of legislature
The main stairway to the third floor of the Montana Capitol building is seen on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. (Nathaniel Bailey for the Daily Montanan) When House Bill 145, aimed at raising nonresident base hunting license fees from $15 to $100, moved through committee hearings, the legislation saw opposition from the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association who thought the increase 'drastic.' Gov. Greg Gianforte agreed, and on Tuesday sent the bill back to the legislature with a recommended amendment for a more moderate increase — to just $50. 'Like the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association and other conservation groups, I support a modest increase of the nonresident base hunting license fee, but believe the increase from $15 to $100 is too great,' Gianforte wrote in his amendatory veto letter. The shift from $100 down to $50 still represents a 230% increase from the existing license fee. Forty dollars of each fee goes to fund access programs for hunters, including the Block Management Program, and will generate an additional $2.5 million, according to projections from the governor's budget office. The House and Senate on Thursday both approved of the governor's amendment. 'This has been a really entertaining bill,' Rep. Gary Parry, R-Colstrip, said on the House floor. 'It started out at 100, you go to committee, they drop it to 50, then it comes back from the Senate up to 100. I'm going 'Yeah, no,' I don't even know in committee which one I'm supposed to defend. 'Anyway, so the governor got it and he said 'No, gonna be 50,' and here we are complaining we got so much money in the budget, I'm trying to give him more money and he's taking it away. So, let's concur.' Parry said he was concerned that if the House rejected the amendment, the governor would exercise one of the executive branch's check on legislative power and issue an outright veto. Montana's governor has three versions of veto power over legislation that reaches his desk. The most basic is the outright veto, when the governor decides, for any reason, that he does not agree with a bill passed by the Legislature. A two-thirds vote by both chambers — conducted as normal business if in session, by a mail poll after adjournment, or during a special session — can override a veto. Gianforte also holds the power to issue individual line item vetoes in bills that appropriate state funds, while approving the bulk of the bill — a power shared by 44 state governors. Line item vetos don't often receive much attention, as they often involve ensuring a budget is balanced, but a case in Wisconsin drew national attention in 2023 when Democratic Gov. Tony Evers removed a few words in a 158-page budget bill to increase school funding for 400 years, instead of the intended two. Montana's governor can also recommend amendments to bills, officially called an 'amendatory veto.' Similar to amendments made in a legislative committee, altered bills must be approved by both chambers and then returned to the governor for final consideration. If one or both chambers reject the amendments, the bill returns to the governor in its original form, where he could then opt to veto it outright. If only one chamber approves of the recommendations, a conference committee may be convened to hammer out the differences. On Thursday, the House and Senate approved of the governor's amendments to several bills in addition to House Bill 145. Changes to Senate Bill 45, which creates a judicial performance evaluation system for sitting judges, removed a section which would have added the evaluation information to the state's voter information pamphlet. Amendments to a bill revising the Montana Heritage Preservation and Development Commission kept the legislature from reducing the number of members, while Gianforte amended a bill about reporting on the costs of fiscal legislation to be an annual, rather than bi-annual report. According to a spokesperson for the governor's office, Gianforte has recommended amendments to seven bills this session.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Yahoo
KRQE Newsfeed: Closing arguments, Couple charged, Cold then mild weather, Road funding, Mountain coaster
What's happening around New Mexico February 21-27 Bill to make Monday after Super Bowl a state holiday fails in committee BCSO searching for man accused of failing to register as a sex offender Albuquerque mayor vetoes city council decision to pull money from Rail Trail City of Albuquerque shuts down another problem motel on East Central Girl Scout cookies sales to start in New Mexico soon Federal judge allows Trump's mass firings of federal workers to continue [1] State's witness testimony wraps up in trial for two men accused of killing 11-year-old – Closing arguments are expected Friday in the trial for two men accused of killing an 11-year-old boy leaving an Isotopes game. Nathen Garley and Jose Romero are accused of shooting up a truck leaving the game in 2023, killing Froylan Villegas. Thursday, the prosecution called an APD digital intelligence expert to the stand and showed jurors text messages related to the shooting. That was in addition to location data, showing they were at Isotopes park. [2] Parents charged months after baby's remains found buried in Eddy County – A New Mexico couple is facing charges after being arrested for killing an infant and hiding the death for several months. Last year Brianna Stallings, the mother of the infant, claimed to police that she accidentally fell asleep on the and then led authorities to a burial site. A recent autopsy showed the circumstances of the death were not as described. Deputies from the Eddy County Sheriff's Office confronted the couple. The mother's boyfriend, Manuel Guillen, admitted that while high on fentanyl he sat on the child's face to make her stop crying. [3] Weak storm, a cooler northwest New Mexico, then spring-like weather – Near-record cold temperatures for a few areas out east to even as far south as the Pecos River Valley this morning will once again lead to a very chilly day, but it will be warmer than yesterday. Rebounding temperatures will mostly continue ahead starting tomorrow with southwesterly winds picking up occasionally, but the spring-like temperatures will return in full force late this weekend into the early part of next week [4] Billion-dollar transportation bond bill gets greenlight from first legislative committee – A bill that would provide billions of dollars in funding for repairing state roads is advancing through the Roundhouse. If approved, House Bill 145, would authorize the state's transportation commission to issue bonds for state highway projects. The bonds would be backed by federal funds and transportation taxes. According to the state, a recent study shows that 57% of state and local roads are in bad shape. The state says eligible projects for the funding will be identified through the statewide transportation improvement program. [5] Plans for Sandia Peak mountain coaster will not move forward – The dream of a Sandia Peak mountain coast is officially over. Just a few weeks ago, Bernalillo County Commissioners voted to terminate the possibility of issuing Industrial Revenue Bonds for the project. Mountain Capital Partners says its focus is on bringing people to the slopes for more classic thrills. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
